Hold my Beer
by squishmich
Summary: Marie in a bar. Logan in a bar. Sound familiar? Quick story surrounding one evening of turmoil and something completly different. LM. Set years after X2. Chap.5 and 6 are up! Remember to leave a review!
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note:  
I do not own Marvel Comics nor are any of the characters my creation. Chapters will be updated according to my hectic schedule and number of reviews.

Her chocolate brown eyes gazed through the curtain of hair and through the blue haze of smoke that surrounded her view. Marie smiled faintly as she caught the slighted sound of beer dripping its last from the tap behind the bar.

Somehow, it felt like home. She shifted in her seat when a new song erupted from the many speakers in the tiny hall, noticing the tune instantly. Her shot of bourbon sat for the longest time that evening awaiting her eager hand, but her thirst wouldn't be quenched with alcohol tonight. Couldn't be quenched with the taste of liquid fire.

She gingerly ran a hand through her hair, sliding through the waves of chestnut and white strands. Not only had the Rogue come out of hiding tonight, but she'd done it with a vengeance. Sitting at home in her simple room, typing on her laptop couldn't cut it for tonight. No, too much had happened the last couple days and she needed to unwind. And what better way than to come to kick back a couple drinks and possibly catch a cage fight.

Was it the scent that brought her here? It's possible. Was it the craving in her gut for the warm sensations that the liquor provided? She knew it was likely. No, it was the Wolverine. Logan was inside her head; the Logan that had been thrashing about in her brain the last few days demanded such a harsh cure. And who was she to refuse him?

The past few days had almost been a blur, caught in a cloudy trance where she was no longer in control of her body or mind. Her thoughts raced and constantly buzzed, causing sleepless nights and dying mornings. Logan pursued her very intimate secrets, the sanctifying of her very being and it tormented her. It seemed that even though Logan's memories and recent thoughts captured her very own, she couldn't deny him. There was no rejecting the man she spent years craving. She had waited, seven years for him, and he had finally come home.


	2. Chapter 2

She had touched him, not even a few hours after he opened the doors to the mansion. A briefest of touches, something of a whisper had her skin been able to speak. She'd caught him off guard when she wrapped her arms around him in an embrace, at least that's what she thought. Her lips hadn't sent him into the tremor she normally caused when she touched anyone, but pressed against his long enough to gain some of his…unusual habits. A simple kiss for such a simple girl is hardly the explanation. A kiss for the seven years departed, for the tear stained pillows and for the very second she knew she was letting him go. She'd wanted a glimpse into his world again; she hadn't seen since she was younger. To see what he saw, what he felt and what he wanted in a woman had overwhelmed her since he took off. For a moment she'd looked into his hazel eyes and seen the truth. While he was away, he'd found what he was looking for.

With a flick of her wrist, she'd sent the bourbon down her throat and with a frown she ordered another. She inhaled and allowed her eyelids to close; she could _see_ what was happening around her. A girl, no more than twenty-five chatted and noisily popped her gum in the far corner, her perfume assaulting Marie's nose. _No wonder the man preferred his women au natural_, Marie smirked to herself but inside she was torn. She didn't wear any scent this night, she would have suffered immensely. Besides, the only scent she vowed to wear was his. _Sounds so animalistic_, she thought soberly.

The bartender raised an eyebrow as he placed her shot down on the bar. "Hittin' it a little hard tonight, ain't you?" He asked placing the bottle down gently on the wooden surface.

Marie raised her eyes to meet his and nodded, and reached forward to pick up the glass. "Got a couple years to make up for." She didn't sound confident with her answer, but it was true. She stretched her legs from the stool but remained seated. Marie watched the others in the bar. A woman stood at the rattled jukebox and slid a quarter in, lazily pressed a button and started to sway when a young female voice crooned over the speakers. A ghost of a smile crept on Marie's face while she watched as the young woman beckoned a man with the crook of a finger out on the dance floor. The pair danced and Marie simply watched. The beast in her head was oddly silent at this scene and she pretended to ignore, but deep inside her heart she noticed.

Several men at a table in the back had noticed the brunette saunter in well after ten that night, each surveying her well-toned curves and dip of her hips as she walked. One man's grin grew wider when he noticed the streaks of white. Bobby…her first boyfriend, her closest friend from when she arrived in New York, apart from Logan, was seated with his friends passing the night away with a couple pitchers. He excused himself from the table and stepped up to the bar, beside Marie. 

"Didn't think I'd see you here tonight Rogue." He leaned against the bar and flashed a lopsided grin, the drink apparent in his eyes. Marie turned and returned his smile, though her eyes portrayed something else.

"Are you here alone?" Bobby asked, his smile slowly vanishing when he noticed no occupant beside her. Marie chuckled and threw back the remainder of her shot and signaled for the bartender. "I guess you could say that. But then I'm never _really_ alone am I?" She trailed off and winked, tapping a finger to her head. Bobby nodded slowly and broke her gaze.

"Look, me and the guys are sittin' right over there. You don't need to sit here alone." Bobby shrugged over his shoulder to the table, lightly placing a hand near hers on the bar. Marie smiled and shook her head. "Bobby…" She sighed looking at her gloved hands. "I appreciate the offer…but I'm alright."

"It's Logan, isn't it?" She knew the question would come, but she still found herself unprepared for her answer. She inhaled slowly. "I'm sure you heard. He's back…few nights ago." She was determined to not allow her voice to quiver; for a moment her vision was blurry and she bit her lip until she tasted blood. No tears would fall for his sake tonight.

Bobby sighed and placed a bill on the bar, and took the beer the bartender offered him. "Yeah I heard. Kitty sent the message along the other day. Seven years huh?" He took a gulp and nervously looked in her direction. Marie straightened up in her seat and nodded, while taking another deep breath. The alcohol was starting to really kick in. "Yeah, seven years." She said softly, finally turning to glance at him. The music from the jukebox played another of its selected songs and Marie smiled bitterly at its choice. Bobby opened his mouth to say something but was cut off when there was a horrible scraping of metal and a few men started to cheer. The cage was being set up by a few guys in flannel work shirts lifting the metal bars that would close off the occupants inside. The announcer, a short dumpy man in a dirt streaked wife beater brought out the microphone and began to untangle the cords and hook it up to the massive speaker situated outside the cage.

The crowds, mainly men with a few women, began the move from the bars and tables to the cage area. Men carried their drinks and women clung to their sides, cheap perfume and makeup completing the scene. Some stragglers were just entering the bar, arriving specifically for the savage cage fights held every Friday night. Marie had closed her eyes and lowered her head, in attempt to fight off the first wave of dizziness that threatened to consume her.

Leather, cigar and a faint whiff of soap. It screamed Logan.

Marie snapped her head up and opened her eyes wide. Those smells were like second nature to her, and the Logan inside her head welcomed those scents eagerly. Bobby turned towards the door and saw who strolled in. He swore under his breath and turned back to his beer, taking a rather large gulp. Marie turned her head a fraction of an inch and through a curtain of hair, watched Logan approach the other side of the bar and order a beer.

Clad in his leather jacket and with a cigar tilted in his mouth, he pulled out a twenty and tossed it on the bar ledge. The bartender opened a beer and handed him the change. Logan grumbled his thanks and started on his drink.

Remember to leave a review!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **

Well I didn't expect quite such a response from everyone! Y'all making me blush! Same goes for this chapter as it did for the last two, the more reviews more chapters come out. I love writing this story, so keep spittin' out what you think. Ideas are most welcome!

Again, I don't own Marvel or any of the characters….damn.

He'd gone and done what any man in his position would have done; gone and grabbed some beer. Lots of beer actually. He was going to need it, badly. But after a couple hours of sitting on the roof of the mansion, he was going to need something a little stronger…

Marie. _Rogue_.

Oh God she'd changed, and not in the bad way. It had been everything he had imagined it would be. He'd stroll in all heroic like, somewhat clean shaven, with his usual primal grin and seek her out, finding a truly grown and matured woman. Matured; sure as hell she'd matured. But then having close to a dozen personalities roaming inside her head, it was nothing but expected.

Marie had walked in and brushed her lips against his, enough to imprint the softness of her inside his brain. It had been driving him through the various levels of insanity that all men reached and he had gotten no where in his thoughts. It was the toughest situation he'd come across in his travels. The memory of Marie's kiss had seemed to temporarily remove the memories of pain on his seven year trip.

_Ah, yeah the seven years_, he thought remorsefully. The guilt had started to rack his heart about twenty miles out on the open road. There were too many damn reasons why he needed to leave, and there were so many damn reasons why he should have stayed. The number one reason always was her.

It was not unusual to see Logan head off for the bar late at night, when all the younger children had long been in bed and the adults were heading off themselves. The roar of Scott's bike in the garage, the pumping of the kick stand were almost comforting sounds; regular sounds for the students. This night was no different. He headed out almost immediately after the case of beer he'd bought was drowned.

They say that a mother can easily recognize her child days after birth; she can recognize her own child's cry over others. There was no way Logan could deny he'd ever forgotten the very smell of one certain female. Jean had always sprayed on the latest perfume; he cared nothing for celebrity smells. All the women he had seen on the seven years, he had always compared to Marie's scent.

Maybe it was the soap she used; she always seemed to smell like something delectably sweet. Logan smiled slowly as he remembered the scent; imaging the taste of her ivory skin putting the world's finest candy and goodies to shame.

The moment he'd knocked his boots on the hard wooden floors of the bar, his nostrils were plagued with the scent…._her smell_. As much as his body willed to follow it to its destiny and Logan's heart thumped excessively in his chest, was he prepared for the awkward conversation that lay before them.

"A beer." He'd mumbled to the bartender as he took his seat, his eyes never rising past the bar ledge. He breathed deeply, savoring the sweet tangy fragrance that crept its way from just down the ledge. Logan knew she was there. She may have 'borrowed' some of his senses for a while, but the Wolverine dominated the killing fields….in this case the bar. The cage at the other side of the room was almost set up and the announcer was plucking his betting papers from behind the bar.

"Got room for one more contestant?" He said relaxed, eyeing the little man with a lazy grin. He gulped at his beer as the little man nodded. "Always got room for one more…what do they call you?"

Logan tilted his head to the side and took a slow drag of his cigar, blowing smoke slowly.

"Wolverine."

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	4. Chapter 4

Firstly, thanks to all the reviewers! You all get little cookies in the shape of Logan…complete with chocolate muttonchops. Updates are coming, so don't fret. Schedule is somewhat hazy write now, but I will post as often as I can.

Marie moved from her seat for the first time that night. Swiftly enough for Bobby not to notice; swiftly enough for _him_ not to notice.

"Rogue…w-wait…" Bobby fumbled, but she'd left him standing alone.

Her jacket spun around her legs as she made her away to the bathrooms and she hurriedly sped around the corner, slamming through the women's bathroom. Marie whimpered softly and leaned against an empty stall and gazed into her reflection in the mirror. She thumped her fists to her sides, cursing Logan. _I look just like I did so many years ago… frightened and alone, _she thought miserably fighting back the tears that threatened to fall for the second time that night. The mirror showed the most vulnerable side, one she thought she had hidden away. She admired her hair, running a hand through the ghost white strand. She ran a finger over her lips. These damned untouchable lips that had kissed a forbidden kiss, her mind wailed. "Why can't I find release from you?" She spoke looking into her reflection again, not looking into her eyes but into his.

The boom of the microphone shook her from her wishful thinking. "Of all the damn bars in town, he has to crawl into mine." She hissed to herself, turning her head away. She could almost feel the blood in her veins begin to boil, just below the skin's surface. _Surely the man has had enough of moving from bar to bar already_, she thought leaning against the bowl of the sink and splashing a few drops on her forehead. The noise levels in the other room began to increase…the fight would be starting very soon. Marie had watched Logan enter his name into the night's brawl with eager anticipation and she wouldn't miss this fight for the world.

"Surely the man can't believe he'd be the only form of entertainment here tonight," She chuckled to herself. Marie walked out of the bathroom and stuck her head around the crumbling corner of the wall just enough to sneak a peek at Logan and the other half of the room. The regulars were assembled and there was hardly any space left for seating. She watched Logan with excitement in her eyes; he had already stripped off his shirt and wandered the inside of the cage steadily puffing his cigar. Marie felt the quiver travel down her spine and into her knees. _Goddamn he still has it_, she celebrated in quiet ecstasy. He had leaned against the bars and was casually watching the possible opponents wander around the cage, tightening his muscles in preparedness.

"Ladies and gentlemen…for your viewing pleasure this evening, I present our first fighter of the night!" The little man yelled in a deepened voice into the microphone as many yelled in enthusiasm.

"With a sickening lust for blood and I truly mean it ladies…' he winked through the bars, 'here stands the Wolverine…who will try and take first blood?" He thundered, pointing a pudgy finger at Logan, who still smoked his cigar and leaned against the bars. One man wearing a rather large eagle belt buckle and cowboy hat grunted and gripped the entrance bars fiercely. "He's mine!"

Marie inhaled sharply as the overwhelming scent of fear crept through the bar. Not from Logan. "Of course not, not from him…" She laughed softly, noticing the other man's widening eyes as Logan cracked his fists and wrist joints loudly. Logan sneered at his opponent and gently laid his cigar out of danger, and waited for the opening hit. Screams of aggression rang out all around the bar when only hours earlier it was quieter than the grave. Marie gripped the sides of the wall and watched; staring as the man took a swipe at Logan and hit only air. Logan had ducked swiftly and delivered a smashing blow to the man's kidneys, growling in all his animalistic glory. She couldn't resist but follow every motion, every graceful step he took on the floor. Marie knew that there was no going back tonight, she'd come to settle an old score with her broken heart.

Within minutes he had shattered his opponent's nose and had sprayed the blood across the floor of the cage, and on several of the female on lookers, who screeched with disgust. The metallic tang filled the air and Marie licked her lips, savoring the sweet taste of his victory. "It's now or never girl…get it together." She said quietly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. She stripped off her jacket and holding it in her arms close to her body, she marched back out into the room with a hardened look in her eyes. No one had noticed her, just as she preferred. Bobby had gone back to his buddies and to his pitchers of beer, amused watching an old team mate fighting in the great metal death trap. His buddies occasionally jabbed him in the ribs, and continually laughed, slurping back their beer while cheering the fight onwards.

Marie tossed her jacket back on the stool she had sat at all night, finished the last of Bobby's beer that he'd left on the ledge. In the beginning she had never been comfortable with exposing so much skin, but as the years past her fear subsided and now she wore whatever she pleased, even the most daring of outfits. This was no exception. The low cut pink top hung close to her curves and dipped far down her back; she loved the silkiness against her skin.

Nervously picking at her gloved hands, she wandered through the crowd until she had come up against the cage. She looked inside and her eyes met with the piercing hazel ones she had spent the last few days agonizing over. Logan stared back and stood still, breathing heavily to catch his breath. His opponent took the chance and sent a grueling blow to his head, cutting just above his eye. Marie hardly paid any attention as the wound neatly stitched itself together; instead she still held her gaze with his eyes. He fell back on the floor and grunted, sending a hasty kick to the man's knees. Cowboy hat went flying as the man tumbled downward and smacked his head, clearly out for the count.

Some of the crowd cheered while other showed their obvious displeasure of the winner of the fight. Some men came into the cage and carried the unconscious man out, still bleeding heavily from the nose. Logan sat on the floor and rested his head against the cage and closed his eyes, trying to regain his breath. When he opened them, he expected to see Marie, but her place had been filled by other patrons.

The cage opened and Logan gripped the side bars and hauled himself up. "Another one already?" He growled, shaking some of the dust on his jeans.

However nothing had quite prepared him for this.


	5. Chapter 5

His eyes widened slightly as he gazed up into Marie's eyes. Various whistles and catcalls echoed around the pair as Marie closed the cage door behind her. Logan sniffed the thickening air and shook his head, with a fierce look settling upon his features. "No, I'm _not_ doing this." He said stiffly taking a step forward, vaguely aware of the cackles from the premature drunks at Marie's choice of outfit…or lack thereof.

_Hell, I've never seen her wearin' something like that before_, he thought looking her shapely figure up and down appreciatively. Marie followed his eyes and smirked slightly.

"Ready to fight Logan?" She asked, her eyes narrowing slightly under the intense lights from above. She tightened and released her fists at her side in rapid succession. Logan continued to stare at her with a mix of confusion and doubt on his face.

"Let's do this. Come on, I've been waiting several years to kick you're sorry ass to the curb…now come on!" She yelled over the cheers and hoots, raising her arms in confrontation. Logan still remained unmoved, and for a brief moment Marie caught a glimpse of something run through his eyes. Perhaps it was sadness. After a few moments he shook his head. "Go home kid." That was all he could muster.

"I'm not a kid anymore Logan,' She angry replied. "I haven't been a kid for a very, very long time."

Logan snorted and ran a hand through his devilish hair, his frown deepening with every second. "I'm not doing this with you now." His voice rumbled deep with authority and his eyes shone with an anger she had not seen since Liberty Island.

Marie felt her breath shortening and the tears beginning to tickle the back of her eyes. "You owe me this!" She hissed at him, "You _owe_ me!"

Logan lowered his head and started to pace around the cage, glancing from her to the floor and back to her. She stood tall and didn't allow the tears to fall; she couldn't show weakness now.

"What do you want me to do?" He asked her, eyeing her reaction carefully. Marie shook her head and laughed.

"Return those seven years back to me!" She yelled at him watching him pace. His answer was short and sweet. "You know I can't do that."

He strode in front of her and stood only mere inches from her face so that she felt the warmth of his breath on her lips. "You're drunk." He murmured, "I don't need to be up close to smell it." His words were cold and distant. "I kissed you when you came home Logan…I spent those seven years loving you and I…' She whispered fiercely to him, 'I can't do it anymore." Logan opened his mouth but he had a hard time forming the words. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Marie, I wanted to tell you so many times, even when I was gone,' Logan said gently brushing his lips against her ear. "I came back because I had found what I had been looking for."

"Don't you do this! Not now!" She hissed, her eyes widening. "Why are you doing this? You had a chance and you left!" Marie couldn't hold it in any longer.

With a yell she brought up her fists and pounded against his chest, the salty drops running down her cheeks to blur her vision. Logan straightened up and allowed her to take a couple hits before grasping her gloved wrists tightly and bringing almost flush against his body. "Stop this Marie." He said quietly, loosening his grip slightly.

Marie tried desperately to choke back everything she had to say to the man, but it all came spilling out. "W-why did you leave me Logan? Why did you leave me when I needed you most?" She cried softly, shutting out everything that surrounded them. She lifted her head up to meet his gaze but for the first time she found herself puzzled; there was something else in his eyes, something she couldn't decipher.

"Marie…" His voice was soft and quietly affectionate as he brought her hands down and placed them at her side. "I can't do this now."


	6. Chapter 6

Logan gaze lingered for a few seconds before he closed his eyes off and brushed past Marie. Like pulling a finger from the flame, her instinct kicked in. She instantly whipped off her glove and grabbed his arm with her bare hand and latched on tight. He gasped with pain and she closed her eyes. She couldn't watch his face, but she needed to know. She swore to never use her powers against another; but she needed to know. Suddenly it was Logan's thoughts; his inner most intimate secrets that she was seeing burst in front of her.

FLASH

He pulled a faded and worn picture from his back pocket, its edges slightly torn from so much use. It was a picture of her, her white streaks clearly evident but tucked behind an ear and a pleasant smile on her features. It was taken at a party; Marie clearly unnoticing that a picture of her was being taken. It was a glimpse at his favorite Marie; the truly happy looking Marie who is carefree and loving. Logan had snuck a copy for himself which he always kept with him and looked when he was lonely.

FLASH

As Logan tossed around in the sheets in the throws of a nightmare of torturous proportions, it was always the simplest dream of _her_ that brought him into a calm and sedated sleep. He dreamt of Marie in the kitchen making French toast and shrieking as the mixture went spilling all over the counter. He dreamt of Marie, her body long, lithe and curved in all the right places and writhing beneath him in ecstasy. It was those dreams he that he awoke from aching that she wasn't there in the flesh. He had been thinking of creative ways around her skin.

FLASH

It was her voice; he loved the sound of her voice. It soothed him when nothing else could. Her accent, it comes and it goes, depending on her mood. It's stronger when she's upset and he wonders all the time what it would sound like when she's beneath him. Would she cry his name with that honeyed voice of hers until he felt like he was going to drown? He would gladly sacrifice everything to hear the sound of her voice again.

FLASH

She smells always sweet, and he has no doubt she would taste the same. He had come home to his room and found her scent everywhere. It stripped his mind and sent him reeling into the oblivion. Knowing she had been in his room and on his bed, gave him enough peace to slumber for a few hours. He would never tire of her scent and could track it to the ends of the Earth.

FLASH

Marie gasped and let go. Logan slumped to the floor, his heart racing and his breathing uneven. There was not enough contact to be knocked out. He struggled to keep himself from completely falling to the floor. Marie knelt down and tried to help him up, but he pushed her arms away. "You had no right to do that." He wheezed, his voice laced with pain and hurt.

_She's the forbidden and lost empire I'm longing to conquer_. It was the continuous thought that had been running through his head, and now it was in hers. Marie covered her mouth in shock. He had loved her and he still loves her. _He worships and adores everything about me_, the newest thoughts spinning wildly in her head. "I-I'm so sorry Logan." She whispered, her heart suddenly burdened with regret and sorrow.

Logan stood up and moved quickly. He grabbed his cigar from the ledge and placed it back in his mouth. He left the cage and disappeared in the mixture of people. The crowd's enthusiasm had died down almost to a stand still, watching the scene unfold. Many had left when they knew there was to be no fight between the two.

She stood there, the numbness running through her body. She shook at the realization of what had just happened, her body reacting to the cold chill. _Oh dear God what have I done? _She cried silently to herself, watching as her tears fell onto her gloves. The Logan in her head thrashed furiously at her betrayal. Her mind tried to process the latest dosage of Logan and she struggled to regain control.

Bobby had seen everything and was cursing under his breath. He immediately went up to the cage door and went to her side. Marie hadn't noticed and simply stood there, absorbed in her sad thoughts. "Rogue, come on, I'm taking you home." He said gently, touching her hand lightly. She allowed him to lead her from the cage; he had grabbed her jacket already.

Some men in the bar stared and kept their distance as she made her way to the door, but she couldn't care less. The bourbon running through her system put her worries and cares at ease; tonight was over. Never had she imagined that Logan would have felt what she experienced. Through her utter despair at her treachery, she knew she had probably lost everything with him.

"Come on, I'll take you outta here and back to the mansion." Bobby's voice soothed over the rough music playing on the dance floor. He shot a glance at Logan, who had ended up sitting back at the bar with a fresh beer. Marie followed Bobby's gaze and her breath caught in her throat. Logan turned away from her and went back to his beer. Her heart dropped.

She knew she had made a complete fool of herself, partly due to alcohol. Now she simply cried for the mess she had become; what was there left for her? She'd just lost Logan. Bobby waved off his friends at the table and hooked his arm around Marie's, helping her outside into the fresh night air.

"He was an asshole Rogue. You and I both know you're too good for him. He had nothing to offer you." Bobby stated with a grim look, opening the door for her. Marie's eyes dulled and she simply nodded. "Bobby, don't…please." She pleaded softly; there was no way to tell him what she had seen.

The frigid night air blasted across her face, making her inhale deeply. The bourbon swished uncomfortably in her stomach and she found herself flushed and hot within minutes. They were silent as they gazed out into the parking lot. The moon had risen a while ago and was completely full, sending a beautiful glow across the horizon and lightening up the sky. Marie stopped mid-stride and looked up, and felt the light swallow her from head to toe. She opened her eyes and examined the moon and breathed softly, her breaths showing in the cold. "He loved me." She whispered, feeling the tightening in her throat reappear again. A single tear fell and she wiped it away before Bobby saw. Her heart mourned for every one of Logan's memories and emotions of her. Bobby could do nothing but sigh and lead her through the open door.

She stared at the moon.


End file.
